US5798922A — Method and apparatus for electronically embedding…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 159 words

A method for reproducing from an input signal at least one sound having audible directional cues, a first copy of the input signal being a front signal and a second copy of the input signal being a rear signal, said method comprising the steps of: associating a first copy of the front signal with a first channel and a second copy of the front signal with a second channel; associating a first copy of a modified rear signal with a first channel and a second copy of the modified rear signal with a second channel; the modified rear signal generated by applying a modified head related transfer function to the rear signal of the input signal; and selectively adjusting volume levels of the first and second copies of the modified rear signals and the first and second copies of the front signal to provide additional audible directional cues based upon perceived locations of origin of at least one sound.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 159 words

A method for reproducing from an input signal at least one sound having audible directional cues, a first copy of the input signal being a front signal and a second copy of the input signal being a rear signal, said method comprising the steps of: associating a first copy of the front signal with a first channel and a second copy of the front signal with a second channel; associating a first copy of a modified rear signal with a first channel and a second copy of the modified rear signal with a second channel; the modified rear signal generated by applying a modified head related transfer function to the rear signal of the input signal; and selectively adjusting volume levels of the first and second copies of the modified rear signals and the first and second copies of the front signal to provide additional audible directional cues based upon perceived locations of origin of at least one sound.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the modified head related transfer function is the difference between a front head related transfer function and a rear head related transfer function.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the modified rear related transfer function is HRTFrear-HRTFfront, where HRTFrear is a rear head related transfer function and HRTFfront is a front head related transfer function.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein HRTFfront is a front center head related transfer function.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein HRTFrear is a left rear head related transfer function.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 41 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: storing the modified rear signal and the front signal on a storage media; and subsequently retrieving the modified rear signal and the front signal from the storage media.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 72 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a phase disturbance between the first and second copies of the modified rear signal to provide direction cues to distinguish sounds originating from the front or rear, wherein the step of selectively adjusting volume levels adjusts the first and second copies of the phase disturbed modified rear signals and the first and second copies of the front signal.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of applying a phase disturbance comprises adding at least one time delay to at least one of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of applying the modified head related transfer function to the rear signal to generate the modified rear signal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of combining the first copy of the adjusted front signal and the adjusted first copy of the modified rear signal to generate a first channel and combining the adjusted second copy of the front signal and adjusted second copy of modified rear signal to generate a second channel of audio.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of applying a phase disturbance comprises the step of inverting the phase of one of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the step of selectively adjusting volume levels, comprises the steps of proportionally increasing volume levels of copies of the front and modified rear signals according to the relative distance to the intended location of the origination of sounds.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 34 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of positioning a sound source, wherein the intended location of origins of sounds is determined from the location of the sound source.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 24 words

The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the sound source corresponds to a object moved on a display by a control device.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 28 words

The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a 90 degree phase shift relative to the front signal to the rear signal.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 187 words

A system for reproducing sounds having audible directional cues from an input signal, a first copy of the input signal being a front signal and a second copy of the input signal being a rear signal, said system comprising: input circuitry configured to receive a front signal and a modified rear signal, said modified rear signal generated by applying a modified head related transfer function to the rear signal; processing circuitry coupled to the input circuitry and configured to associate a first copy of the front signal with a first channel and a second copy of the front signal with a second channel and associate a first copy of the modified rear signal with a first channel and a second copy of the modified rear signal with a second channel; and level adjustment circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry and combination circuitry, said level adjustment circuitry configured to adjust volume levels of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal and the first and second copies of the front signal to provide additional audible directional cues based upon the intended location of origin of sounds.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 187 words

A system for reproducing sounds having audible directional cues from an input signal, a first copy of the input signal being a front signal and a second copy of the input signal being a rear signal, said system comprising: input circuitry configured to receive a front signal and a modified rear signal, said modified rear signal generated by applying a modified head related transfer function to the rear signal; processing circuitry coupled to the input circuitry and configured to associate a first copy of the front signal with a first channel and a second copy of the front signal with a second channel and associate a first copy of the modified rear signal with a first channel and a second copy of the modified rear signal with a second channel; and level adjustment circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry and combination circuitry, said level adjustment circuitry configured to adjust volume levels of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal and the first and second copies of the front signal to provide additional audible directional cues based upon the intended location of origin of sounds.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 16 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the system is a video game system.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the input circuitry comprises a storage access mechanism for accessing the front signal and modified rear signal from a storage device.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 17 words

The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the storage device is a CD ROM drive.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 15 words

The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the storage device is nonvolatile memory.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 15 words

The system as set forth in claim 18, wherein the storage device is volatile memory.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 32 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the modified head related transfer function is the difference between a front head related transfer function and a rear head related transfer function.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 36 words

The system as set forth in claim 22, wherein the modified rear head related transfer function is HRTFrear-HRTFfront, where HRTFrear is a rear head related transfer function and HRTFfront is a front head related transfer function.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system as set forth in claim 23, wherein HRTFfront is a front center head related transfer function.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 18 words

The system as set forth in claim 23, wherein HRTFrear is a left rear head related transfer function.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 87 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, further comprising phase disturbance circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry and level adjustment circuitry and configured to apply a phase disturbance between the first and second copies of the modified rear signal to provide audible direction cues to distinguish sounds originating from the front or rear, wherein the level adjustment circuitry is configured to adjust volume levels of the first and second copies of the phase disturbed rear signal and the first and second copies of the front signal.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the phase disturbance comprises at least one time delay added to at least one of the first and second copies of the modified rear signals.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 69 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, further comprising combination circuitry coupled to the level adjustment circuitry to combine the adjusted first copy of the front signal and adjusted first copy of the modified rear signal to generate a first output channel and to combine the adjusted second copy of the front signal and adjusted second copy of the modified rear signal to generate a second output channel.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 31 words

The system as set forth in claim 26, wherein the phase disturbance is generated by inverting the phase of one of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 40 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein the volume adjustment circuitry proportionally increases volume levels of copies of the front and modified rear signals according to the relative distance to the intended location of the origination of sounds.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 35 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein a sound source is a graphic object on a display, and the intended location of origins of sounds is determined from the location of the object.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system as set forth in claim 31, wherein the graphic object is moved on the display by a control device.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 27 words

The system as set forth in claim 16, wherein said rear signal is adjusted by application of a 90 degree phase shift relative to the front signal.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 155 words

A system for reproducing sounds having audible directional cues from an input signal, a first copy of the input signal being a front signal and a second copy of the input signal being a rear signal, said system comprising: processing circuitry configured to associate a first copy of the front signal with a first channel and a second copy of the front signal with a second channel and associate a first copy of a modified rear signal with a first channel and a second copy of the modified rear signal with a second channel, said modified rear signal being a copy of the rear signal having a modified head related transfer function applied to it, and to adjust volume levels of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal and the first and second copies of the front signal to provide additional directional cues based upon the intended location of origin of sounds.

Claim 37

Independent Claim 155 words

A system for reproducing sounds having audible directional cues from an input signal, a first copy of the input signal being a front signal and a second copy of the input signal being a rear signal, said system comprising: processing circuitry configured to associate a first copy of the front signal with a first channel and a second copy of the front signal with a second channel and associate a first copy of a modified rear signal with a first channel and a second copy of the modified rear signal with a second channel, said modified rear signal being a copy of the rear signal having a modified head related transfer function applied to it, and to adjust volume levels of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal and the first and second copies of the front signal to provide additional directional cues based upon the intended location of origin of sounds.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system as set forth in claim 32, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to generate the modified rear signal by applying a modified head related transfer function to the rear signal.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 83 words

The system as set forth in claim 34, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to said processing circuit further configured to add a phase disturbance between the first and second copies of the modified rear signal to provide directional cues to distinguish sounds originating from the front or rear, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to adjust the volume levels of the first and second copies of the phase disturbed rear signal and the first and second copies of the front signal.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 31 words

The system as set forth in claim 36, wherein the phase disturbance is added by inverting the phase of one of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 30 words

The system as set forth in claim 34, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to apply a 90° phase shift relative to the front signal to the rear signal.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 66 words

The system as set forth in claim 34, wherein said processing circuitry is further configured to combine the adjusted first copy of the front signal and adjusted first copy of the modified rear signal to generate a first channel output, and to combine the adjusted second copy of the front signal and adjusted second copy of the modified rear signal to generate a second channel output.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system as set forth in claim 36, wherein the phase disturbance comprises at least one time delay added to at least one of the first and second copies of the modified rear signal.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2001-08-24	2002-02-23	2002-08-25	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2005-08-24	2006-02-23	2006-08-25	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2009-08-24	2010-02-23	2010-08-25	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for electronically embedding directional cues in two channels of sound for interactive applications

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